Submitted by thebelsnickle1991 t3_ygoc2w in science
SpongeJake t1_iuac7pq wrote
Reply to comment by dittofire1 in Bedtime procrastination helps explain the link between anxiety and sleep problems by thebelsnickle1991
I would love to, but perhaps not here, as this isn’t the place for anecdotal stuff (despite my doing so). There’s a simple 15 minute meditation that I use (it’s on YouTube) which I’d be willing to share with you via chat. In my case, I used the video for a month or two, then began doing it on my own without the meditation guidance.
Adventurous-Text-680 t1_iub8exa wrote
I got you. While I am not sure what YouTube video you are using, deep diaphragmatic breathing to reduce stress is a very studied topic. This is a big thing for athletes because stress can also be due to arousal that occurs during hard training.
All you need is something to help you learn the breathing pace and then you are good to go. Some sports watches and smart watches can even use biofeedback to help guide you.
The basic concept is 6 breaths per minute with 5 second inhale and 5 second exhale. This should be continuous breathing with no pause holding your breath or pausing on exhale. You should be using your diaphragm. Some studies change up the number of breaths per minute, but overall it's pretty similar.
Some research to read: While this is a research white paper and designed to be related to sports performance, they have plenty of cited studies and information on how deep breathing exercises help reduce stress.
https://www.polar.com/en/img/static/whitepapers/pdf/polar-serene-white-paper.pdf
Below are a few more.
Article examining bunch of studies to show deep breathing can help insomnia
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6361823/
Study showing reduced anxiety and better sleep for nurses who were dealing with COVID outbreaks. This study had limitations with no control group and being somewhat self reported.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7724962/
Study about deep breathing helping reduce stress
Each of the linked articles and studies have even more cited studies to review about the effect of deep breathing on stress and the asymptomatic nervous system. So plenty to read and explore.
rosetacks t1_iuafzkv wrote
Hey dude can you forward me that YouTube video as well? I struggle with this too :(
SpongeJake t1_iubxv01 wrote
I’d love to, but I can’t seem to find a way to contact you on chat to do so. When I try, Reddit tells me I can’t send messages to you. So….if you perhaps can message me I can reply back with the info. Cheers!
whAteverbr0 t1_iuajox5 wrote
Does it matter at what time you meditate? Can you do it during the day for the positive effects on sleep later that night or do you have to meditate just before bedtime?
BenevolentVagitator t1_iuat64e wrote
Not the person you asked but meditating in the morning is pretty standard and I think it has still helped me at night because it just generally keeps the anxiety level down overall. Also, being practiced at it means you are more likely to be able to do it to go to sleep if it would help on the spot.
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